A strong upper level disturbance moving from the West Coast produced up to 14 inches of snow at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral County).
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The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
A strong upper level disturbance moving from the West Coast produced up to 14 inches of snow at the summit of Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral County).
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 13, 3:14 PM MST, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 314 PM MST TUE DEC 13 2011 .SHORT TERM... (TODAY AND TONIGHT) THE UPR TROF WL BE MOVING OVR THE ARE TONIGHT AND WED IN A FEW PIECES, KEEPING THE WEATHER A BIT UNSETTLED. A BAND OF CLOUDS AND PCPN HAS BEEN LYING ACRS THE FAR SERN PLAINS THRU THE DAY, AND THE NAM SHOWS THAT THIS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AT LEAST THRU THE EVENING AND THEN HEADING EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY MORNING. FAVORABLE SWRLY FLOW OVR THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MTS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING...WITH ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. BY LATE NIGHT THE FLOW TURNS WEST AND IS FAIRLY LIGHT. ALTHOUGH THERE SHOULD STILL BE SOME SNOW, ACCUMULATIONS WL LIKELY NOT BE ALL THAT SIGNIFICANT. ANOTHER BATCH OF MSTR CAN BE SEEN ON RADAR WORKING ITS WAY NORTH TOWARD THE SOUTHERN SANGRES AND WL PROBABLY BRING SOME ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATION THIS EVENING, BUT THE NRN SANGRES PROBABLY WL NOT SEE MUCH. MOIST FLOW INTO THE EASTERN SAWATCH MTS WL ALSO BRING ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMS TONIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE STRATUS WL RETURN TO THE SERN PLAINS TONIGHT AND COULD EVEN MAKE IT INTO THE PUEBLO AREA TONIGHT. STRATUS WILL ALSO CONTINUE IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY. EARLY WED MORNING THE NAM IS SHOWING THE SFC WINDS BECOMING WESTERLY AFTER THE UPR TROF PASSAGE, RESULTING IN THE DISSIPATION OF THE STRATUS. MOISTURE WL BE ON THE DECREASE WED AND PCPN CHANCES WL DIMINISH. HOWEVER, MOIST NW FLOW WL PROBABLY CONTINUE TO BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW TO THE CENTRAL CO MTS THRU THE DAY. .LONG TERM... (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) WEDNESDAY NIGHT...TROUGH AXIS MOVES THROUGH COLORADO...AND WITH THE WANING MOISTURE...HAVE CONFINED ANY SNOWFALL TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...WHERE A FEW MORE INCHES COULD ACCUMULATE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THURSDAY...SHOULD BE A DRY DAY IN-BETWEEN SYSTEMS AS THE AREA WILL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A SHORTWAVE RIDGE ALOFT. FRIDAY...GFS AND EUROPEAN MODELS INDICATING A CUTOFF LOW NEAR SOUTHWEST ARIZONA BY LATE AFTERNOON. NAM HAS THE FEATURE MUCH CLOSER...IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA. ALSO...A COLD FRONT FROM A NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH WILL PUSH THROUGH THE PLAINS...BUT THE TIMING IS STILL IN QUESTION. FOR NOW...HAVE BROADBRUSH ISOLATED POPS ACROSS THE AREA. FOR THE WEEKEND...THE GFS AND EUROPEAN FORECAST THE CUTOFF LOW TO BEGIN MOVING EAST SUNDAY. ONLY ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS ARE FORECAST FOR THE SOUTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS. MONDAY...GFS HAS A MORE NORTHERN SOLUTION WITH THE SYSTEM...AND BRINGS ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS. WITH A MORE SOUTHERN SOLUTION...THE EUROPEAN BRINGS VERY LITTLE MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION TO OUR AREA...KEEPING THE RAIN AND SNOW IN NEW MEXICO. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST FORECAST...ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE TRAVELING SOUTHEAST EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION... KCOS SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE VFR CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT 24 HRS. AT KPUB IT LOOKS LIKE STRATUS COULD BACK INTO THE AREA LATE THIS EVENING...BUT THEN THE MODELS SHOW WRLY SFC WINDS PUSHING IT OUT OF THE AREA BETWEEN 12Z AND 13Z, AND THEN CONDITIONS SHOULD BE VFR. KALS HAS HAD IFR CONDITIONS ALL DAY AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WILL CONTINUE THRU THE NIGHT. THE FORECAST SOUNDING SHOWS THE STRATUS SHOULD COME TO AN END AROUND 13Z WITH CONDITIONS THEN BECOMING VFR. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR COZ067-073- 075. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR COZ068. && 28/13
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 305 PM MST TUE DEC 13 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-142215- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- CROWLEY COUNTY-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY- EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY- EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY- LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY- 305 PM MST TUE DEC 13 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY...AS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE ROCKIES LATER TONIGHT. SNOWFALL WILL BE HEAVIEST OVER THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. THE FOCUS OF SNOWFALL WILL THEN SHIFT TO THE EASTERN SAWATCH AND MOSQUITO RANGES BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 6 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...AND UP TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. ONE TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE PROBABLE ACROSS THE REST OF THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...AS WELL AS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF LAKE AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WEDNESDAY MORNING...WHERE ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED. ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM MAY BRING A ROUND OF ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE MOUNTAIN AREAS AND THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS STILL QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE TRACK AND STRENGTH OF THIS NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM. THOSE WITH TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR PLANS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO THIS WEEKEND SHOULD KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST FORECASTS REGARDING THIS DEVELOPING SYSTEM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. 13/13
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, December 2011
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 356846.